You don't have to be a chilango, or native of Mexico City, to enjoy the food at Urban Taco, but it certainly adds another dimension to the experience.

Indeed, the sensibility here comes from the capital city, in a form that's sophisticated, educated and yet accessible.

Someone familiar with contemporary Mexican culture might see the interior, with its geometric flourishes, as reminiscent of the work of Ricardo Legorreta (just take a tour inside Central Library to see some similarities). Otherwise, it looks like a hyper-stylish lounge.

The dishes on this menu come from a strong knowledge of interior Mexican flavors and are rooted in traditional preparations, but not bound by them.

Take, for example, its version of a shrimp cocktail. Many of us are familiar with the slightly sweet tomatoey sauce that's often a combination of ketchup and hot sauce, along with diced onions.

Here, the cocktail doesn't have that familiar combination of cloying and hot. It's a little sweet, but that sweetness comes from diced mint. Not traditional, but not radically different. Just different enough.

A version of barbacoa in which the beef is braised in Dos Equis amber ale and dried chiles (maybe guajillo, but it may be a blend) retains just a hint of the beer flavor, while the chiles contribute body but barely any heat. Very Mexican in its perspective, but not the type of recipe found in a classic Mexican cookbook.

For those who are familiar with such classic preparations, these dishes are likely to provoke smiles of recognition when they adhere to tradition and when they depart from it. Even without knowing the culinary background, the items here are very tasty.

The differences become apparent within moments of sitting down. Instead of a server bringing the ubiquitous Tex-Mex chips and salsa, diners get a small rectangular bowl of paper-thin slices of fried yucca dusted with dried chile and salt.

Go ahead and start with chips and salsa, but the versions here combine ingredients in a way few places in town can equal.

Perhaps the best way to sample the salsas is to order a trio. The salsas arrive in small square condiment dishes with a stainless steel bowl of shatteringly crisp and surprisingly light tortilla chips.

The favorite salsa was a creamy and garlicky jalapeño zucchini, while the tomatillo serrano is probably closest to a familiar salsa. The avocado lime crema is more of an avocado puree, which may come as a surprise. It works better as a topping on dishes than a dipping salsa.

Then order a trio of outstanding ceviches for another appetizer sampler. In addition to the shrimp cocktail, the others include small dices of mango, pickled red onions and diced pineapple.

The meal could continue with a selection of melted cheese dishes, a sampling of guacamoles that range from traditional to adventurous, quesadillas with a range of fun fillings (slightly different takes on beef, chicken and vegetable) with a blend of Oaxaca, manchego and asadero cheeses.

Indeed, it's possible to make an entire meal out of the non-taco items, even though the tacos are the stars of this menu.

Then again, if tacos are the reason for coming, don't miss out on them. A favorite was the Carnitas DF (Distrito Federal, as Mexico City is known in Spanish), with the richness of pork and a touch of acid from orange in the slow cooking liquid elevated with the topping of onions, cilantro and red sauce.

Choose two taco fillings for a lunch special with rice and beans or three fillings and a choice of two sides for a meal package.

The closest to a traditional rendering came with the al pastor and chicken tinga fillings, but the pristinely fresh ahi tuna, shrimp al pastor and red snapper fillings deserve special praise for their quality.

At the same time, these fillings receive a boost from the absolutely stellar corn tortillas. These have enough substance to hold the fillings without falling apart, while contributing flavor of their own. Sure, the diet-conscious can order tacos in lettuce wraps, or go in the other direction and order them on flour tortillas with cheese. Best to stick to tradition.

Not everything turned out wonderfully. The slightly spicy mole is not balanced and complex like a traditional mole poblano. It's not bad, but it's certainly not as good as everything else. And an order of Red Acapulco Snapper had too much butter, which rendered an accompanying poblano rice greasy.

But with a wonderfully chosen tequila list where copitas are served with sangrita and fresh-squeezed lime juice (in a three-compartment wooden holder called a brick), it's easy to forgive the minor missteps.

Besides, with a dessert like these churros — drizzled with a little chocolate and served with a scoop of ice cream (dulce de leche, perhaps?) garnished with a Maria's cookie — nothing else really matters.